Could GTA V be banned in wake of tragic shooting?

As far as the general public is concerned, the Grand Theft Auto franchise has long been the poster child for video game violence. With the recent Sandy Hook shooting tragedy still fresh in the minds of the nation, politicians are looking to video games, once again, as the source of this senseless act of violence. With the release of GTA V looming in early 2013, guess who’s getting their attention?

Yep, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin is pointing at GTA V as a game that should be banned, because of violence found in it, and “what it promotes”. According to the Senator in a recent interview, Manchin says “Look at Grand Theft Auto, put out by Rockstar Games in New York City and see what it promotes. Shouldn’t that be looked into and maybe be banned?”

While Manchin wants to ban the video game, he goes on to praise the NRA (National Rifle Association) for how they’ve delt with the recent tragedy. Being that Manchin referred to the deep pocketed gun control lobbying group as his “friends”, it’s probably safe to assume that the Senator is somewhat biased in how he came to the conclusion that violent video games are at the root of this tragic event.

Assuming politicians don’t ban it, GTA V is due out this spring on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.